Department for Transport

Ferries: Wales

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on job losses of the withdrawal of ferry services between Ireland and (1) Holyhead, (2) Fishguard, and (3) Pembroke Dock.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Ferry services between Ireland and the ports of Holyhead and Fishguard are a matter for the respective Irish and Welsh governments. There have been no direct discussions with Irish Ferries concerning services between Ireland and Pembroke Dock which is part of the Port of Milford Haven. Milford Haven is a reserved major Trust Port. However, the Department has had regular engagement with the full breath of the maritime sector including ferry operators and Trade Unions. Any operational decisions that could cause potential job losses are regrettable and the Department will continue to engage relevant parties. However, the impact of the global pandemic has created significant challenges and the Department recognises that operators have to make difficult commercial decisions.

Airports: Licensing Laws

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the sale of alcohol airside at international airports in the UK; and what plans they have to bring such sales into line with the sale of alcohol landside.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government keeps the matter of licencing at airports under consideration. There are tough penalties in place for drunk and disruptive behaviour onboard an aircraft, including imprisonment for up to two years or an unlimited fine. Pilots also have the power to deny boarding or force passengers to disembark a plane if they are drunk and threaten the safety of the aircraft or its passengers.

Belfast International Airport

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to keep the public service obligation for Belfast International Airport under review.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government recognises that connectivity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is vital, which is why we secured a £5.7 million support package in May this year to temporarily support the last remaining service from Belfast to London during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The UK policy on public service obligations (PSO) is to protect existing routes into London that are in danger of being lost. It is for the relevant local authority or devolved administration to determine the need for a PSO on a route and to submit a business case to DfT for consideration. The local authority must also hold a full and open tender to select an airline to operate the route on an exclusive basis. Airlines select the airports they wish to operate from, if there is more than one option available, as part of their bid.

Aviation: USA

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with President-elect Biden about opening an air travel corridor between London and New York.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government believes that air connectivity between the UK and US is very important. The Government engages regularly with its international partners, both on a bilateral basis and through international forums, to discuss issues pertaining to international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes how testing schemes may be used to allow for greater levels of travel between countries, and more flexibility for passengers with regards to self-isolation requirements following travel. Travellers from the US will be able to opt into the Government’s ‘Test to Release’ scheme from 15 December.

Oxford Station

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Williams Rail Review will include consideration of upgrading Oxford railway station.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to bringing forward vital sector-wide reforms and commissioned Keith Williams to carry out the first root and branch review of the rail industry in a generation. Over the course of his review, Keith Williams found that many stations are not optimised for passengers, and fail to meet their social or economic potential. Keith Williams has made a number of recommendations which Ministers are considering, though I do not anticipate recommendations in relation to specific stations. The Government will publish a White Paper with details on the Government's plans for rail reform once the course of the pandemic becomes clearer.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the limits of horizontal displacements within the defined limits of deviation which do not require Parliamentary approval for the starts or ends of works listed in the Schedules to the High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Bill.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The parliamentary plans deposited with the High Speed Rail (West Midlands-Crewe) Bill show the Limits of Deviation (LoD) for the Scheduled Works (works which are listed in Schedule 1 of the Bill). A Scheduled Work can be constructed anywhere within their specific LoD. A Scheduled Work cannot be constructed outside of its LoD.

Leader of the House of Lords

Private Members' Bills

Baroness Sheehan: To ask the Leader of the House what plans there are for consideration of Private Members' Bills to resume.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: I expect private members’ bills to start being considered again in early 2021.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Employment: Mental Health

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of skills gaps on employee mental wellbeing.

Lord Callanan: The Government recognises the significant impact that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on both employers and employees, and their mental wellbeing. Throughout this crisis, our priority has been clear: to protect lives and livelihoods and we have taken many steps to protect both jobs and the long-term financial future of businesses during the current economic emergency. The Government has set out a plan for recovery that focusses on backing business, improving skills, and creating jobs. For example, the Plan for Jobs provides new funding to ensure more people will get tailored support to help them find work. This includes launching the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme fund and investing £2.9 billion in the Restart programme over 3 years to support the UK’s labour market. DWP are also doubling the number of jobcentre Work Coaches to provide intensive support for both young people and the newly unemployed. Further measures include committing £8 million for digital skills boot camps, increasing apprenticeship opportunities, expanding sector-based work academies programme (SWAPs), launching the Job Finding Support Service, and increasing the funding for the Flexible Support Fund by £150 million in Great Britain. In order to highlight available support around mental health, the Government is also signposting to resources for businesses and employers, including Mind’s website and the Mental Health at Work toolkit, through GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-support-for-business-from-outside-government. We also continue to work with the Thriving at Work Leadership Council to encourage employers to sign up to the Mental Health at Work (MHAW) commitments and to engage leading Mental Health charities and organisations to better understand issues around SME mental health, financial insecurity for small business owners and the self-employed, and continue to explore what further support may be offered.

Arcadia Group: Insolvency

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish reports by the Insolvency Service into the collapse of the Arcadia Group.

Lord Callanan: After a company enters administration, the administrators have three months to report to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State on the conduct of the directors. The Insolvency Service will review the administrators’ report into Arcadia to consider whether further steps, such as conducting a detailed investigation, may be necessary. The Secretary of State has written to the Insolvency Service to request that they review the report from the administrators rigorously and expeditiously as soon as they receive it.

Department for Education

Digital Technology: Adult Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase basic digital skills education programmes for adults.

Baroness Berridge: The government recognises the importance of digital skills for employability and participation in society. This is why we introduced a legal entitlement in August 2020 so adults with no or low digital skills have the opportunity to undertake new digital qualifications free of charge. This new entitlement mirrors the existing legal entitlements for English and maths and will provide adults with the digital skills needed for life and work.The digital entitlement is supported by new Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs) at entry level and level 1. EDSQs are a new qualification type, based on new national standards for essential digital skills, designed to meet the diverse needs of adults with no or low digital skills.The new digital skills entitlement, and our wider reforms, will ensure that only digital skills qualifications based on the new national standards will be approved for funding up to level 1, providing learners with high quality qualifications that equip them with the full range of essential digital skills needed for life, work and further study.In April 2020, we launched The Skills Toolkit, which consists of over 70 free, high quality courses from everyday maths and essential digital skills, to digital marketing and coding.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has also announced a series of Skills Bootcamps which will provide valuable skills based on employer demand and linked to real job opportunities, such as digital skills. These will help adults to land jobs, and employers to fill much-needed vacancies. In September 2020, these were introduced in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Lancashire, and Liverpool City Region, initially focusing on digital skills such as software development, digital marketing, and data analytics.

National Tutoring Programme

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Berridge on 10 November (HL9605), how many tutors under the National Tutor Programme were supporting schools (1) at the start of November, and (2) at the start of December.

Baroness Berridge: The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) will provide additional, targeted support to disadvantaged pupils who need the most help to catch-up. Through the programme, schools will be able to access high quality, subsidised tuition from approved Tuition Partners and our most disadvantaged schools will be supported to employ in-house Academic Mentors to provide tuition to their pupils.The NTP went live on 2 November and schools are now able to access tuition to support disadvantaged pupils that needed the most help to catch-up. Our delivery partner for the Tuition Partners pillar, the Education Endowment Foundation, has approved 33 Tuition Partners who will offer high-quality, subsidised tuition to schools. The partners can be found here: https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/ntp-tuition-partners/ntp-approved-tuition-partners. For this academic year, in total, it is estimated that through the Tuition Partners, approximately 15,000 tutors will support the scheme offering tuition to around 250,000 pupils.In addition to this, the first 188 Academic Mentors have now been placed in schools from November. In total we will place 1,000 Academic Mentors, with the further cohorts starting in schools in January and February 2021.

Sex and Relationship Education

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to support the use of relationship and sex education to address the increase in self-generated indecent images of children online and, in particular, to develop targeted approaches for 11 to13 year-old girls.

Baroness Berridge: The department is committed to supporting schools to deliver high quality teaching of Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), which includes teaching about online safety.Health Education includes specific content about online safety and appropriate behaviour that is relevant to pupils’ lives. It also includes content on how information and data is shared and used in all contexts. For online safety, this includes sharing pictures, understanding that many websites are businesses, and how sites may use information provided by users in ways they might not expect. As with all curriculum teaching, schools have the flexibility to tailor their teaching to specific cohorts and to the needs of their pupils.The RSHE statutory guidance sets out that pupils should know that sharing and viewing indecent images of children (including those created by children) is a criminal offence which carries severe penalties, including jail. More detail of the content which should be taught in RSHE is available in the statutory guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.To support teachers to deliver the content effectively, the department has developed teacher training modules that are available to download here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health. The department worked with a wide range of stakeholders to develop the training content, including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Brook, the Sex Education Forum and the PSHE Association. We also contracted with subject matter experts such as Parentzone, Childnet, and Durham University.The new RSHE subjects complement the embedded computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages. This includes teaching on how to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully, and securely, how to keep personal information private, and where children and young people can go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: Conduct

Lord Kilclooney: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the total estimated cost of the reportThe conduct of Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, published on 3 December,including (1) any payments to all members of the Conduct Committee, (2) any payments to the Commissioner for Standards and all members of her staff, and (3) the cost of the publication of the report.

Lord McFall of Alcluith: It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of the report The conduct of Lord Maginnis of Drumglass as most costs cannot be disaggregated from time spent by members or staff on other work.  1. Member costsThe report into Lord Maginnis was considered at two separate meetings of the Conduct Committee, at the first there were other items on the agenda so claims for attendance were not solely related to consideration of this case. At the second meeting Lord Maginnis’ appeal was the only item on the agenda. All members of the Committee attended for that meeting. HL members can claim attendance allowance for participating in a virtual select committee but those claims may also cover other parliamentary work undertaken that day so it is not possible to say how much they claimed for their work on this case that day. Lay members have so far claimed £1,200 to prepare for and attend that meeting.  2. Payments to the Commissioner and her staffThe costs of the time of the Commissioner for Standards and her office in relation to her investigation in to the complaints against Lord Maginnis cannot be disaggregated from her work on other cases. £5,760 was spent in payment to the external investigator who supported the Commissioner in her investigations into the four complaints. 3. PublicationThe report was printed in-house on the same paper used for other parliamentary publications by a permanent staff team therefore the small costs of printing this report cannot be disaggregated from other work.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the total estimated cost of the report by the Conduct Committee:The conduct of Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (HL Paper 185).

Lord McFall of Alcluith: It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of the report The conduct of Lord Maginnis of Drumglass as most costs cannot be disaggregated from time spent by members or staff on other work.1. Member costs The report into Lord Maginnis was considered at two separate meetings of the Conduct Committee, at the first there were other items on the agenda so claims for attendance were not solely related to consideration of this case. At the second meeting Lord Maginnis’ appeal was the only item on the agenda. All members of the Committee attended for that meeting. HL members can claim attendance allowance for participating in a virtual select committee but those claims may also cover other parliamentary work undertaken that day so it is not possible to say how much they claimed for their work on this case that day. Lay members have so far claimed £1,200 to prepare for and attend that meeting.2. Payments to the Commissioner and her staff The costs of the time of the Commissioner for Standards and her office in relation to her investigation in to the complaints against Lord Maginnis cannot be disaggregated from her work on other cases. £5,760 was spent in payment to the external investigator who supported the Commissioner in her investigations into the four complaints. 3. PublicationThe report was printed in-house on the same paper used for other parliamentary publications by a permanent staff team therefore the small costs of printing this report cannot be disaggregated from other work.

Abingdon Green

Lord Hylton: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker why College Green has been closed; and when it is estimated that access will be permitted.

Lord McFall of Alcluith: Abingdon Green was closed as a pedestrian thoroughfare on Monday 23 November while Westminster City Council complete essential security works at the perimeter at the Great College Street end, and will reopen on Friday 18 December. Access into and out of Abingdon Green will continue from the north (Jewel Tower) end.  This is the first phase of essential security work being undertaken by Westminster City Council and subsequent closures might be expected later in 2021. These works are considered to be vital to protecting the security of Parliament and the surrounding area.

Treasury

Ulster Bank

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the future of Ulster Bank.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: This is a commercial matter for the management and Board of NatWest Group. The government manages its shareholding in NatWest Group at arm’s length on a commercial basis through UK Government Investments Ltd (UKGI). UKGI's role is to manage the investment, not the bank itself. NatWest Group retains its own independent board and management team for strategic and operational decisions.

Musicians: Income Tax

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for permitting freelance musicians to defer (1) all, or (2) part, of their income tax payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, on 20 and 26 March 2020 the Chancellor announced numerous easements to help businesses through this difficult time. This included the option for all Self-Assessment (SA) taxpayers, including the self-employed, to defer paying their second Payment on Account (POA) for the tax year 2019-20, ordinarily payable by 31 July 2020, for 6 months. All SA taxpayers, including self-employed freelance musicians, have until 31 January 2021 to make that payment without it incurring any late payment interest. Furthermore, the Government understands that many SA taxpayers may have difficulty in paying their SA payments becoming due on 31 January 2021. To help them, HMRC have enhanced their automated online Time to Pay service, enabling taxpayers to clear their January 2021 SA liabilities in up to 12 monthly instalments. Prior to October 2020, that service could only be used to pay tax liabilities of up to £10,000. However, HMRC increased the threshold to £30,000, to ensure it is now available to far more SA taxpayers than before. SA taxpayers eligible to use this service can set up a direct debit payment arrangement online without having to contact HMRC directly. HMRC estimate that up to 95% of SA taxpayers owing SA payments on 31 January 2021 will be able to use this online payment service. Taxpayers with SA tax liabilities over £30,000 may still agree a Time to Pay arrangement with HMRC by contacting them directly. Further information is available on GOV.UK.

Crime and Tax Avoidance

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made inaddressing (1) tax avoidance, (2) fraud, and (3) money laundering.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Since 2010 this government have secured and protected over £250 billion that would otherwise have gone unpaid due to tax related fraud, avoidance, evasion and other forms of non-compliance within the tax system. During this time we have introduced over 120 new measures and invested over £2 billion extra in HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to tackle all forms of tax fraud and non-compliance. This includes £63 million in additional funding for HMRC in 2020/21 to ensure that more of the tax that is owed is collected. HMRC achieved its commitment, made at Summer Budget 2015, to raise an additional £5 billion a year by 2019/20 by tackling tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning, evasion and other non-compliance. The UK tax gap (the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid and what is actually paid) in tax year 2018/19 (the latest figure available) is estimated to be 4.7% (£31 billion). The tax gap has fallen from 7.5% in 2005 to 2006, showing a long term downward trend. Tackling financial crime remains an important priority for the government. We are committed to preventing money laundering, financial exploitation and fraud, closing down vulnerabilities in the system that may be exploited by criminals and hostile actors and ensuring members of the public have the information they need to spot a scam and stand up to fraudsters. We continue to work closely with industry on these issues. In 2019, the Government and private sector jointly published a landmark Economic Crime Plan which brought together the Government, law enforcement and the private sector in closer cooperation than ever to deliver a whole system response. This Plan sets out 52 actions of which 13 have been fully completed. We plan to publish a detailed update on ECP actions in the new year. This year, the government completed its transposition of the EU’s Fifth Money Laundering Directive, bringing new sectors into scope for money laundering regulation, including cryptocurrencies, the art market, and the letting sector. We also significantly expanded the scope of the Trusts Registration Service in order to drive greater transparency of who ultimately owns trusts that present a money laundering or terrorist financing risk. This ensures our system remains responsive to emerging threats and is in line with evolving international standards set by Financial Action Task Force. We have made significant process on the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) staffing uplift, who will undertake greater analysis of SARs reports and provide more timely and meaningful feedback to reporters, with c.130 staff currently in post (up from c.80 at the time of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) review in 2018). The government is also committed to ensuring the UK’s anti-money laundering supervision system is effective and consistent across the 25 supervisors. HM Treasury publishes annual reports on the performance of the AML/CFT supervision system, most recently in August 2020. In 2018, the government introduced legislation to create the Office for Professional Body Anti Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS). OPBAS’s remit is to ensure a consistently high standard of AML supervision by the 22 professional body supervisors and facilitate information sharing between AML supervisors and law enforcement agencies.

Government Departments: Insurance

Lord Aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Infrastructure & Projects Authority Government Construction Strategy 2016–20, published in March 2016, how many departments have piloted Integrated Project Insurance (IPI); and what encouragement the Infrastructure and Projects Authority has provided to government procurers to use IPI.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Through the Government’s Construction Strategy 2016-20 Integrated Project Insurance (IPI), the Trial Projects Working Group, set up by Cabinet Office, piloted IPI on Dudley College’s project to build a Centre for Advanced Building Technologies. However, when the Working Group completed its work in 2017, after four years of development, it was felt that the IPI model needed further involvement from industry before it could be adopted by Government departments. To date there has been no further trialling or adoption of the model other than an extension to the original contract. The Government through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Infrastructure Projects Authority via commercial specialists cite the IPI model in presentations to customers and programmes and it is referenced in the CCS’s Construction Works and Associated Services Framework as one of the approaches that clients might consider when procuring construction services. It will also be offered in CCS’s new Construction Professional Services Framework, which is due to go to the market in early 2021. The Government has also recently published its Construction Playbook to support the upskilling of Government as a client, and includes reference to IPI, which will assist departments in making procurement decisions and considering if the IPI model might be applicable.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were supported by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in each of the last three months for which figures are available.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HMRC published statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in November 2020 which included figures for the number of employments furloughed and supported by the CJRS each day up to 30 September. These statistics can be found at the GOV.UK link in the footnote to this answer. The figures are for employments furloughed rather than people; figures for the number of people furloughed are not available. These statistics are the latest available. They provide preliminary figures for the number of employments furloughed for 1 July to 30 September, based on claims received to 31 October, and are subject to revision as claims for support from the CJRS for periods from 1 July could be submitted until 30 November. Figures for specific dates are provided in the table below. Additional information is available in the statistics publication.  Employments furloughed and supported by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (preliminary data)31 July5.2 million31 August3.6 million30 September2.4 million  The next release of statistics on the Job Retention Scheme is scheduled for 17 December. Footnote text:The November 2020 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-november-2020

Government Departments: Accountancy

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many written directions Ministers have been asked to give (1) to Permanent Secretaries, and (2) to other officials, in each of the last 10 years; and in each case, (a) which Ministers and officials were involved, and (b) to what the written directions referred.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: There have been 41 Ministerial Direction published since April 2011. There was no general requirement to publish Ministerial Directions prior to this date. Thirty -eight of these direction were requested by Permanent Secretaries or Acting Permanent Secretaries. One of those (from the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care) was jointly requested by the Chief Executive of the NHS. Of the remainder, two were requested by the Chief Executive of UK Export Finance and one by the Chief Executive of the NHS. Details of all published Ministerial Directions can be found on the gov.uk website.[1]. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-directions

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use the United Nations Sustainability Goals as a framework for their COVID-19 recovery strategy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have a key role to play in framing and shaping recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a valuable framework for ensuring a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery. We are proud to have led the UN Financing for Development workstream on recovering better for sustainability. As the Foreign Secretary said in his 29 September speech during the UN General Assembly, our recovery from COVID-19 must accelerate, not slow down our delivery of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs

Iraq: Kurds

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the agreement reached on 9 October between the government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government about the Sinjar district and, in particular, of the views of the local community about that agreement.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk that the agreement reached on 9 October between the government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government about the Sinjar district poses to Yezidi people; and what action they are taking as a result.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to closely monitor the recent agreement between the Government of Iraq (GoI) and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over governance sharing in Sinjar. We are committed to supporting the rights of the Yazidi community and other minority groups in Iraq. HMA Baghdad has recently discussed this matter with GoI and KRG leadership, as well as senior representatives of the Yazidi community, urging for representation of minority groups. The UK's Minister for the Middle East and Minister for the Armed Forces travelled to Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on 30 November, and discussed security cooperation with GoI and KRG leadership. The UK will continue to engage closely with all relevant parties in order to support the rights of the Yazidi community and other minority groups through this agreement.

West Africa: Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support (1) Nigeria, and (2) neighbouring countries, to address any threat to regional stability by (a) Boko Haram, and (b) the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA), in the last 18 months; and how many people they estimate have been displaced in that period as a result of the actions by (1) Boko Haram, and (2) ISWA.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is supporting Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA). These terrorist groups have caused immense suffering to local communities in North East Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin region. We are providing a comprehensive package of assistance in support of efforts to bring stability to this region. For example, we help fund the Lake Chad Basin Regional Stabilisation Facility, implemented by the UN Development Programme, to strengthen community security, provide basic services and support livelihoods. Our contribution was £2 million in the financial year 2019-20. Additionally, we have provided funding and operational support for the Multinational Joint Task Force, a regional force coordinating military efforts for regional security.Over two million people have been displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict in North East Nigeria and 10.6 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. We work closely with the UN and international partners to provide life-saving assistance to people affected by the conflict.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to impose sanctions on any person from Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 who (1) undermines or threatens the sovereignty, territorial integrity, international personality or constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, (2) undermines, or threatens, the peace, stability or security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, (3) obstructs the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and (4) is involved in any other action, policy or activity which undermines the GFAP.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: On 1 January Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 come into force, to ensure the UK has its own autonomous authority to designate individuals who undermine the sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and provide us with a tool to tackle the worst challenges to BiH's stability and future. Taking collective action with international partners has proven to be the most effective lever for change, and we will continue to do this, encouraging our partners to consider the potential role of restrictive measures where appropriate. We will also continue to use the wider range of tools we have available, such as our programming work to strengthen the rule of law, the media, civil society and the democratic process, and our public and private diplomatic engagement. We take a comprehensive approach in BiH, aiming to tackle corruption and state capture as well as targeting those who undermine state sovereignty. It would be inappropriate to speculate on potential future designations under these Regulations, which we keep under constant review.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have, if any, on who is responsible for the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on 27 November 2020.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The circumstances of Fakhrizadeh's death remain unclear and we will not speculate when we do not have the full facts. To date no State or non-State actors have claimed responsibility, but the UK repeatedly and consistently condemns extrajudicial killings wherever these take place. We are concerned about the situation in Iran and the wider region. We continue to urge all sides to show restraint and avoid any actions which might escalate tensions in the region.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Crimes against Humanity

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 18 November (HL10143), whether they accept the description used by the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of 25 February 2019 Legal Consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 that Chagossians were "forcibly removed" by the UK between 1967 and 1973.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has expressed sincere regret about the manner in which Chagossians were removed from BIOT in the 1960s and 1970s. In its Written Statement to the ICJ, the UK accepted that the way that Chagossians were treated was wrong and that there was a callous disregard for their interests. However, the UK did not characterise their treatment in the same terms as those used in the Advisory Opinion.

Ethiopia: Family Planning

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) family planning, (2) sexual and reproductive health and rights, and (3) abortion care, services they have madeavailable to the population of Tigray since the onset of the conflict in that region.

Baroness Sugg: In Ethiopia we have a large bilateral family planning programme - Family Planning by Choice - which works to improve access to, quality of and the voluntary update of family planning and safe abortion services across the country, including Tigray. Our global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights programme "WISH" complements this programme, providing lifesaving services across refugee camps in the region. While hampered by the communications blackout, we are in close contact with Family Planning by Choice, WISH and our wider set of health and humanitarian partners to establish the status of ongoing UK-funded activities and understand changing needs, including Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. We have worked with the UN on response planning, which includes commitment to minimum initial services package for emergency reproductive health. We are working to secure humanitarian access to deliver further assistance.Globally, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises and this year provided UNFPA with an additional £10 million for lifesaving SRH services as part of the global humanitarian response plan to COVID-19.

Ethiopia: Family Planning

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any(1) family planning, (2) sexual and reproductive health and rights, and (3) abortion care, services they have made available to the population of Tigray have changed since the onset of the conflict in that region.

Baroness Sugg: In Ethiopia we have a large bilateral family planning programme - Family Planning by Choice - which works to improve access to, quality of and the voluntary update of family planning and safe abortion services across the country, including Tigray. Our global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights programme "WISH" complements this programme, providing lifesaving services across refugee camps in the region. While hampered by the communications blackout, we are in close contact with Family Planning by Choice, WISH and our wider set of health and humanitarian partners to establish the status of ongoing UK-funded activities and understand changing needs, including Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. We have worked with the UN on response planning, which includes commitment to minimum initial services package for emergency reproductive health. We are working to secure humanitarian access to deliver further assistance.Globally, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises and this year provided UNFPA with an additional £10 million for lifesaving SRH services as part of the global humanitarian response plan to COVID-19.

Ethiopia: Family Planning

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that women and girls in Tigray continue to have access to (1) family planning, (2) sexual and reproductive health and rights, and (3) abortion care, services during the conflict in that region.

Baroness Sugg: In Ethiopia we have a large bilateral family planning programme - Family Planning by Choice - which works to improve access to, quality of and the voluntary update of family planning and safe abortion services across the country, including Tigray. Our global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights programme "WISH" complements this programme, providing lifesaving services across refugee camps in the region. While hampered by the communications blackout, we are in close contact with Family Planning by Choice, WISH and our wider set of health and humanitarian partners to establish the status of ongoing UK-funded activities and understand changing needs, including Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. We have worked with the UN on response planning, which includes commitment to minimum initial services package for emergency reproductive health. We are working to secure humanitarian access to deliver further assistance.Globally, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises and this year provided UNFPA with an additional £10 million for lifesaving SRH services as part of the global humanitarian response plan to COVID-19.

Nagorno Karabakh: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide emergency aid for refugees in (1) Armenia, and (2) the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Baroness Sugg: On 30 October the Foreign Secretary announced £1 million in funding to the ICRC to support their humanitarian efforts in the region. We are working with international partners and NGOs to understand needs in the region and what further support we can provide, and will keep the situation under review.

Turkey: Aviation

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the opening of Turkish airspace for flights to (1) Armenia, and (2) Georgia.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government has not made representations to the Government of Turkey regarding the opening of Turkish airspace for flights to Armenia and Georgia.

Ethiopia: Politics and Government

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the domestic situation (1) in Ethiopia, and (2) in Tigray.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is concerned by the violence between federal and regional forces in the Tigray region and the risk it poses to civilians, and by reports of ethnically-motivated attacks both within Tigray and elsewhere in Ethiopia. We are gravely concerned at Amnesty International's report of killings of civilians on 9 November; we call for transparency and accountability to be delivered for such incidents. We are also concerned about the risk these events pose to Ethiopia's overall political stability and its democratic transition of which the UK has been supportive. The Foreign Secretary called Prime Minister Abiy on 10 November to raise our concerns and stress the urgent need to prioritise the protection of civilian lives, restore services (including banks and telecommunications) and enable humanitarian access. He also urged de-escalation swift moves to political dialogue. He reiterated these messages when he met Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke on 25 November. We will continue to track the situation and to raise with the Government of Ethiopia and regional leaders these concerns, our concerns about civilian deaths and casualties, and the importance of respect for human rights.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the domestic situation in South Sudan.

Baroness Sugg: Despite significant progress, including the formation of the transitional government in February 2020, the situation in South Sudan is of deep concern. Implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement has stalled, contributing to increases in violence in a number of areas. The South Sudanese economy remains in crisis and many South Sudanese are facing the effects of flooding. Over 50% of the population are experiencing severe acute food insecurity and there is threat of famine in several areas. South Sudan also remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for aid workers with at least nine killed in 2020.South Sudan's best chance of a more stable and prosperous future remains in the full implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement. The UK continues to push for progress, alongside our international partners, including the Troika. We remain the second largest bilateral donor and in 2019 UK aid reached over 200,000 with food assistance and one million people with vaccinations for preventable illnesses. During a visit to South Sudan in October, the Minister for Africa pressed President Kiir and other key figures on the need for real political progress and announced a further £8 million of UK aid to help mitigate the risk of famine and assist the victims of flooding.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the domestic situation in Sudan.

Baroness Sugg: Eighteen months after the removal of Omar al-Bashir as President, Sudan has begun the process of transitioning to democracy after decades of misrule. In order to deliver the stability required for this transition to succeed, the civilian-led Government of Sudan has committed to important reforms to address Sudan's economic crisis and to a process that aims to bring an end to conflict. There has been progress on economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies in November, but severe challenges remain. Inflation exceeds 230%, the humanitarian situation is worsening, 7.1m face food insecurity and there has been an influx of over 45,000 refugees as a result of the situation in Ethiopia. On securing comprehensive peace, we welcome the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement on 3 October between the Government of Sudan and a number of opposition groups, and continue to urge those outside the agreement to engage in negotiations. In addition the civilian-led government has delivered a number of welcome legal and human rights reforms, including the criminalisation of Female Genital Mutilation and on Freedom of Religion and Belief.As a leading donor to Sudan, the UK is providing extensive support to Prime Minister Hamdok and his government to help deliver stability and improvements for the lives of ordinary Sudanese. Most significantly, the UK will provide up to £160m in economic assistance this financial year, including £80m to help ensure economic reforms are delivered. We have also helped ensure international support for Sudan through the establishment by the UN Security Council, of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS), which is mandated to help with the transition and peace process. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Prime Minister Hamdok on 12 November to discuss regional issues, progress on economic reforms, and UK support for Sudan's economic transition. The Minister for Africa also spoke with Foreign Minister Omer Gamereldin Ismail on 02 December.

Armenia and Azerbaijan: Prisoners

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the number of prisoners still held by the governments of (1) Azerbaijan, and (2) Armenia; and whatsteps they intend to taketo support the release of all prisoners and detainees in those countries who were held as a result of recent fighting.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government has not made an estimate on the number of prisoners held by the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of recent fighting. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas recently spoke to both the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers where she highlighted the importance of return of prisoners of war and reinforced support for the International Committee of the Red Cross as the primary mediator through which prisoner exchanges should take place. We continue to monitor the situation carefully.

Sub-saharan Africa: Health Services

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Sugg: COVID-19 has a significant impact on health, as a direct result of the pandemic but also as a result of disruption to health services globally, including in Africa. An analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 14 African countries shows a sharp decline in the demand for and delivery of essential health services between January and September 2020 compared with the two previous years. Services included outpatient consultations, inpatient admissions, skilled birth attendance, treatment of confirmed malaria cases and the provision of immunisation.To date, the UK has committed up to £1.3 billion of UK Aid to combat COVID-19 and is balancing its COVID-19 response with support to maintaining access to essential health services. Our bilateral health programmes and £340 million core contribution to the WHO over the next four years will help to support their work to strengthen health systems in vulnerable countries. The UK is also providing up to £1.4 billion for the next 3-year replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Our funding to partnerships such as the Global Fund, Gavi and the Global Financing Facility maintains essential activities, such as bed net distribution, immunisation and the provision of maternal and new-born health services.

Sub-saharan Africa: Disease Control

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on theirprogrammes to help address (1) HIV/AIDS, (2) tuberculosis, and (3) malaria, in sub-Saharan Africa.

Baroness Sugg: We expect to see a significant impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on cases and deaths from HIV, TB and malaria in sub-Sahara Africa. However, it is not yet possible to quantify the full extent to which COVID-19 has affected these disease burdens. TB case notifications have decreased this year, partly due to laboratory capacity being diverted to COVID-19 testing. The World Health Organisation has predicted that COVID-19 may cause a doubling in malaria deaths in sub-Sahara Africa in 2020. A recent parliamentary report concluded that COVID-19 has disrupted HIV service provision, with marginalised communities worst affected.The UK is flexing its funding and programming to address these effects by providing up to £1.4 billion for the next 3-year replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). This includes a contribution to the $1 billion GFATM is making available to countries to respond to COVID-19, reinforce their health systems and adapt their HIV, TB and malaria programming. The UK is also working with governments to ensure that, as far as possible, essential services for these diseases continue, with patients protected from COVID-19. We are also supporting national governments in making sustainable decisions about resource allocation to national COVID-19 programmes.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ask the government of Ethiopia (1) to establish a humanitarian corridor into the Tigray region, and (2) to ensure that any such corridor is supervised in conformity with the neutrality principles laid down by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; and what plans they have to seek access for UK diplomats to all areas affected by the conflict in that region to collect any evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Baroness Sugg: The UK has been at the forefront, liaising closely with the United Nations (UN) and partners, in calling for immediate, free and unfettered humanitarian access across Tigray, in line with the guiding principles laid down by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The UK worked with the UN to develop these guidelines and they have been shared with the Government of Ethiopia. We are extremely concerned that humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), do not have access to refugee camps in Tigray. This means we lack an understanding of the humanitarian and protection context in camps and refugee hosting areas.We are encouraged that a UN assessment mission was able to access Tigray on 7 December. The mission must be able to work without hindrance and in turn it must facilitate the timely supply of humanitarian support to those who need it including to civilians in contested areas. We will work with the UN to monitor access and humanitarian delivery and the degree to which the UN's guiding principles are adhered to. The UK has, alongside international partners, called on all sides to ensure the protection of civilians and for respect for human rights. We welcome the appeal made by the Ethiopian Commission for Human Rights for an independent investigation into human rights violations.

Drugs: Developing Countries

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to prevent the sale of counterfeit drugs to developing countries, and (2) to ensure that only patented drugs are sold to those countries. [I]

Baroness Sugg: The UK has long supported strategies to increase access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines to people living in low- and middle-income countries. This includes patented products, and their generic equivalents, which are affordable versions of brand name products. We also work to prevent the spread of substandard, falsified, and counterfeit medicines; for example, through support to the WHO's Global Surveillance and Monitoring System for substandard and falsified medical products.

Malaria: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to prevent children from dying from malaria.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is committed to driving down malaria deaths. This is closely linked to our manifesto commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children. In 2019, under five-year olds accounted for 67% of all malaria deaths globally.The UK continues to be one of the most generous donors in the world on malaria. UK investments are broad and lead to significant impact. For example, our support to the Medicines for Malaria ventures has led to the development of the world's first child - friendly antimalarial drug, which has been distributed in more than 50 countries. The UK's current £1.4 billion pledge to the Global Fund is the largest to date and will help to distribute 92 million bednets. The UK's support to countries to strengthen health systems will help to protect the most vulnerable, including children, through sustained malaria prevention and control programmes.

Developing Countries: Family Planning and Genito-urinary Medicine

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they spent on overseas aid for (1) family planning services, and (2) sexual and reproductive health services, in each of the last three years, as calculated using (a) their usual reporting methodology, and (b) the Muskoka 2.0 methodology.

Baroness Sugg: A) Using our usual reporting methodologies, we estimate FCDO spent:1)On family planning services:£231 million in 2017£265 million in 2018£326 million in 20192) On sexual reproductive health services:£1.221 billion in 2017£1.215 billion in 2018£1.202 billion in 2019B) The Muskoka 2.0 report shows FCDO spent:1) On family planning services:£246 million in 2017 (2018 and 2019 not available)2) On sexual reproductive health services:£1.629 billion in 2017 (2018 and 2019 not available)

Developing Countries: Females

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps theyare taking to address violence against women and girls inthe least developed countries.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is recognised as a global leader in tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms by pioneering approaches around the world that have shown reductions in violence of around 50%, proving that VAWG is preventable. We are scaling up our investments, including through the launch early next year of a new £67.5 million seven-year programme to scale up effective interventions to prevent VAWG. We are also making the biggest single investment worldwide to date by any international donor to end FGM (£50 million).We know that success in the fight against VAWG will depend on putting women's rights organisations at the heart of our response. That is why the UK has provided long-term support to women's rights organisations on the frontlines through our contribution to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. We are also delighted to have been selected to co-lead the new Generation Equality global Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence to drive more concerted, scaled-up global action.

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for those living in the global south.

Baroness Sugg: The UK is committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines as demonstrated by our strong support for the Access for COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. The UK has contributed up to £813 million to the ACT-Accelerator partners. This includes the UK's commitment of up to £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) - the international initiative to support global equitable access to vaccines, of which the UK is the largest bilateral donor. Our commitment to the COVAX AMC will support access to COVID-19 vaccines for up to 92 developing countries by contributing to the supply of 1 billion doses in 2021, and vaccinations for up to 500 million people (subject to vaccines successfully securing stringent regulatory approvals).

Ministry of Defence

Type 26 Frigates

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will place the order for the remaining five Type 26 frigates; how long each ship will take to build; at what intervals they will be delivered; and whether BAE Systems will be expected to reduce the price for each subsequent ship as the programme develops.

Baroness Goldie: The procurement of the Batch 2 Type 26 Frigates will be subject to a separate approval and contract, which is expected to be awarded in the early 2020s. Dates for the construction of each ship, and its price, will be set during commercial negotiations with BAE Systems.It is anticipated that our batch buy procurement strategy will enable lessons learned to be implemented in the building of later ships resulting in lower unit cost and achieving overall better value for money.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 23 November (HL Deb, cols 30–31), whether they still intend to order at least 90 F-38B aircraft.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will extend the current order of 48 F38B aircraft to ensure that the aircraft carriers due to be operational by 2023 will be equipped with a full airwing.

Baroness Goldie: We are committed to 48 F-35B Lightning by 2025, with two operational frontline Squadrons formed by 2023. Further decisions on procurement beyond the 48 aircraft will follow the ongoing Integrated Review.

Department for Work and Pensions

Unemployment Benefits

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the adequacy of the funding provided to support people who are unemployed.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The government is investing billions of pounds in supporting people who have become unemployed due to the impact of Covid-19 on the UK economy. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is at the heart of delivering this support, which includes:• the new 3-year long £2.9 billion Restart programme which will provide intensive and tailored support to over 1 million unemployed people and help them find work• the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme which will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country. To date, tens of thousands of Kickstart jobs have already been created.• The recruitment of 13,500 new Work Coaches to provide essential support through Jobcentre Plus. This includes delivering DWP’s new Youth Offer, comprising of a 13-week Youth Employment Programme, DWP Youth Hubs co-located and co-delivered with our network of external partners and the expansion of Youth Employability Coaches.• Expanding Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), which assist unemployed people to pivot into priority sectors, including construction, infrastructure and social care. In the ‘Plan for Jobs’, the Chancellor announced an extra 32,000 SWAP participant starts in 2020/21, providing £17m for Department for Education to triple the number of associated vocational training placements. DWP’s Secretary of State also pledged to increase further the number of people taking part in 2021/22. The Sector-based Work Academy Programmes offer training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview to those ready to start a job. This is alongside the expansion of support for traineeships in England and for apprenticeships, which enable people to work while having a structured training programme.• DWP, through contracts with externally contracted providers are also delivering the new Job Finding Support Service, which will help familiarise newly unemployed people with current recruitment practices, gain an understanding of sector specific approaches and develop a personalised job finding action plan; and• Job Entry: Targeted Support, which will provide up to 6 months of essential support for people who have been unable to find work within the first 3 months of unemployment.• The government is also investing an additional £150 million into the Flexible Support Fund, which will increase the capacity of the Rapid Response Service, supporting people through redundancy and providing additional local support to claimants by removing barriers to work such as travel expenses for attending interviews and child care.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what factors they will consider in their review of whether to make permanent the temporary Universal Credit uplift; and when they plan to announce the outcome of that review.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by more than 60 organisations and bishops on 29 November on the Universal Credit uplift and legacy benefits; and what plans they have to extend the uplift to legacy benefits.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The £20 per week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit was announced by the Chancellor as a temporary measure in March 2020 to support those facing the most financial disruption as a result of the public health emergency. This measure remains in place until March 2021. As the Government has done throughout this crisis, it will continue to assess how best to support low-income families, which is why we will look at the economic and health context in the new year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fly-tipping

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 6 February (HL944), what progress they have made on the introduction of a mandatory electronic waste tracking system to combat fly tipping.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are taking forward powers to introduce electronic waste tracking in the Environment Bill which is currently going through parliamentary passage in the House of Commons. These powers, along with other measures being introduced as part of this Bill (for example amendments to the section 108 powers of entry) will help tackle waste crime, including fly-tipping. We have committed to introducing mandatory digital waste tracking in England subject to consultation. In parallel, work to develop the digital system is already well underway. We have started to design and test waste tracking prototypes using the GovTech Catalyst Fund which incentivises Britain’s pioneering tech firms to develop innovative solutions to public sector problems. We are designing the prototypes with input from a wide range of user groups including small and micro businesses to ensure we understand how waste tracking can be developed to meet their needs.

Fly-tipping

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to address the costs of disposing of toxic or hazardous waste incurred by victims of fly tipping.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Fly-tipping is a crime which blights local communities and the environment, and we are committed to tackling this unacceptable behaviour. We set out our strategic approach to preventing, detecting and deterring waste crime, such as fly-tipping, in our 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy. We appreciate the difficulty and cost that fly-tipping poses to landowners and we are working with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to promote and disseminate good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. The Environment Agency may investigate incidents of fly-tipping that are over a certain size (more than 20 tonnes, 20m3 or a tipper load), linked to organised crime, or involve hazardous waste. The Environment Agency will only arrange for the removal of such fly-tipped waste where there is no adequate response from a responsible party and there is actual or imminent threat to the environment or human health. In such circumstances, the Environment Agency will seek to recover costs from responsible parties where it is appropriate to do so. We expect all local authorities to investigate all other incidents of fly-tipping, including those on private land, to prosecute the fly-tippers when there is sufficient evidence and to recover clearance costs where possible. On conviction, a cost order can be made by the court so that a landowner’s costs can be recovered from the perpetrator. We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste has on landowners. However, central Government generally does not compensate individuals for non-violent crime of which they are a victim. Furthermore, compensating landowners for the costs of removing fly-tipping may risk creating a perverse incentive for some people to dump, or facilitate the dumping of, waste.

Nature Conservation: Coronavirus

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on endangered species of (1) the economic impact of, and (2) the travel restrictions put in place to address, the COVID-19 pandemic; and what action they are taking as a result.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: No formal assessment has been made of the impact on endangered species of the economic impact of, and travel restrictions put in place to address, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Home Office

Pornography: Children

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the manufacturers of internet-enabled devices about the increase in self-generated indecent images of children online.

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of Outcome 21 in preventing children from being criminalised as a result of self-generated indecent images.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are working across Government and engaging industry to prevent all forms of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. We welcome the All-Party Parliamentary Group of Social Media inquiry into the rise of self-generated indecent imagery. As part of our response to the pandemic, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-online/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-parents-and-carers-to-keep-children-safe-online has been published for parents and children outlining resources to help keep children safe from different risks online, including apps to help children stay safe online, and how to access support and advice.The Government is continuing to engage with technology companies around the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, a framework of principles launched by the Five Country Ministerial partners in March. However, while some companies are working proactively to tackle illegal and harmful content and activity that occurs on their platforms, more needs to be done.The Full Government Response to the Online Harms White paper consultation has been recently published and sets out our plans to introduce world-leading legislation to tackle harmful content online and make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. This legislation will include a legal duty of care on online platforms, backed up by an independent regulator to hold them to account.The Government recognises the risks of criminalising children as a result of self-generated images. Outcome 21 is assigned by the police where a crime has been reported but further investigation is not in the public interest.When the police use Outcome 21, it allows them to properly record and capture crimes, whilst demonstrating they are satisfied that there is very low risk of harm. Outcome 21 cases will not normally be subject to any subsequent disclosure.

Department for International Trade

Arms trade: Arab States

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for licences for military exports(1) to Saudi Arabia, (2) to UAE, (3) to Bahrain, (4) to Kuwait, and (5) to Egypt,they haveapproved since 7 July.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: Information on licences granted from 7th July will be published in due course as Official Statistics. For licences granted between July and September 2020, information will be published on 19th January 2021; and for licences granted between October and December 2020, information will be published in April 2021.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners on Remand

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the impact of the remand backlog on the welfare of the families of those being held in custody.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Crime recovery work is moving at pace – there are currently more than 260 courtrooms available to hold jury trials and 2,360 jury trials have been listed between restarting in May and 25 October. Since August, Magistrates’ courts have been disposing more cases than they are receiving, dealing with over 22,000 cases each week. Cases where the defendant is held in custody are actively monitored and continue to be prioritised.Pre-trial detention is never considered lightly and is designed to minimise the risk that defendants who pose a risk to the public, or those likely to abscond and evade justice, could be released back into the community on bail before their trial can be listed. In the event this was to happen, this could significantly undermine public confidence in the justice system and have a detrimental impact on victims and witnesses.We recognise that maintaining the ties individuals in custody have with their families and friends during this stressful time is important for the wellbeing of both the individual and their family. To facilitate family contact during Covid, we commenced the rollout of video calling which is now available in all 110 public prisons at no cost to families at the current time. This was introduced alongside other emergency measures, including the provision of 1,500 secure mobile phones and extra phone credit, to help maintain family contact while physical visits were suspended.We continue to learn lessons from this to inform both the current service and longer-term planning in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews for maintaining family ties.

Prisoners on Remand

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the remand backlog on (1) prison overcrowding, and (2) the health and wellbeing of prisoners, including children and young people held on remand.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The remand population has increased during the pandemic, mostly due to the challenges in holding Crown Court trials during this period. However, as published in the Prison Population National Statistics on the 26th November, the remand population is forecast to drop by September 2021 as trial capacity is expected to increase in the next year as the court system recovers from the impact of COVID-19. In turn more remand prisoners will flow out of the remand population.The total prison population has also reduced by over 5,000 since the start of the pandemic and as a result the total number of prisoners currently held in crowded conditions has reduced. The extent to which crowding has reduced in 20/21 will be reflected in the publication of the HMPPS Annual Digest.The pandemic has brought new challenges to managing the estate and we have worked at pace to ensure we have enough suitable accommodation, protect the most vulnerable and reduce transmission of infection. We have produced a range of products to support Governors in devising and implementing local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate risk of self-harm, including tailored guidance for supporting specific groups of people in prison whose wellbeing may be more impacted by Covid-19 measures.Additionally, the latest monthly Youth Custody data published in September show there were 620 children and young people (including 18 year olds) in the youth secure estate – this is significantly down from the published figure of 852 at the end of February 2020, and the lowest number recorded within this publication. Of the 620 children and young people in custody at this time, 236 (38%) were on remand.MoJ is currently undertaking a review into the use of custodial remand for children, including identifying options to reduce numbers where appropriate. In the Smarter Sentencing White Paper, MoJ announced plans to raise the threshold for imposing custodial remand on children and require courts to record their rationale.

Prisoners: Females

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women in prison are (1) pregnant, or(2) mothers with primary caring responsibilities.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Pregnancy data is collected locally by individual prisons, to ensure the appropriate support can be provided to women in our care. Currently, there is no central collection of this data.I am however, able to confirm that an ad hoc data collection exercise was undertaken last year, which found that at 15:00hrs on 28 October 2019, 47 women in prison self-declared as pregnant, including those on remand and who had been sentenced.On 31 July we published a summary report of our review of operational policy on pregnancy and women separated from children under 2. This includes an undertaking to extend the range of data we publish in relation to pregnant women in prison and can be found in the attached document. We have already taken steps to increase our internal national data collection processes to support the policy review, and to enable us to plan for future publication.We recognise that maternal imprisonment can have particularly detrimental impact on family life, and that children whose mothers are in prison are a vulnerable group and may need additional help to address both the short and long-term impacts that maternal imprisonment can have.At the moment, information on a prisoner’s caring responsibilities and children living in the community is monitored locally by prison Governors/Directors to ensure the appropriate support can be provided to women and their families.On reception into custody, all prisoners are asked if they have any children living at home and what their ages are. Currently, this information is not captured in a way that can be centrally monitored, and we know that there are challenges around parents being reluctant to disclose this information due to fear of involvement from social services.However, we are considering how to monitor and publish this information.Report (pdf, 596.5KB)

Child Trust Fund

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information, advice and support they plan to offer to families in which a child is unable to manage the funds in their Child Trust Fund when they reach the age of 18.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: To obtain the legal authority to make decisions about a Child Trust Fund on behalf of a young person who lacks the mental capacity to do so for themselves, parents and guardians need to apply to the Court of Protection for an order of the court or register a Lasting Power of Attorney. This is set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to protect vulnerable people.We are working with financial institutions to raise awareness of these processes. They have agreed to provide information on these processes shortly after the account holder’s 16th birthday and again, when the account nears maturity.For parents and guardians that may need to apply to the Court of Protection, they can ask for court fees to be waived when seeking access to a Child Trust Fund. Guidance for applicants has been updated to reflect this.Should court applicants encounter any difficulties whilst completing Court of Protection application forms, they can contact the Court of Protection to request assistance. Contact details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/court-of-protectionWe are also setting up a working group to consider how the Court of Protection application process can be simplified to reduce the burden placed upon the parents and guardians of disabled children.

Child Trust Fund

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the number of families in which a child may be unable to manage funds from their Child Trust Fund when they reach the age of 18.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We do not have accurate figures to show how many young people who wish to access a Child Trust Fund at age 18 may lack the mental capacity to make financial decisions for themselves.The MENCAP website states that approximately 2.5% of children in the UK are believed to have a learning disability and consequently we estimate that there may be between 1 and 2% of Child Trust Funds where the account holder may lack capacity to make financial decisions at age 18. This equates to between 63,000 and 126,000 accounts but is a very rough estimate.